God at the head of His people in majesty

Psalm 68 follows on these psalms, being the celebration of the
introduction of Israel into the position spoken of in them. Still
it has a complete and individual character of its own. It begins
with the formula employed when the camp broke up in the wilderness
under the guidance of God, the pillar rising up and going before
them. So it is now. God takes this place at the head of His
people. It is thus introduced suddenly with great majesty. Let God
arise so His enemies are scattered before Him: as wag before the
fire, the wicked perish at His presence. The righteous may be glad
and rejoice before God, yea, exceedingly rejoice. He shall appear
to the shame of the mighty wicked, and the righteous poor will be
glorified. Thus the purport of this psalm is most clear. But the
character of Him who thus interferes is further most beautifully
unfolded. He is a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows. He
makes the solitary to dwell in families, the rebellious in a dry
land. Judgment is the true and gracious deliverance of the blessed
God. And now His people can celebrate this goodness.

History is then recapitulated (v. 7). Such was He when He
brought forth Israel from Egypt. At Sinai the earth shook at His
presence. But He refreshed the heritage of His weary people, when
He had prepared of His goodness for the poor. But now present
facts told that tale still more to their hearts. Adonai's word
went forth. The glad tidings were chanted by Israel's daughters in
a great company (v. 11). Kings fled apace. What a sudden and
complete deliverance it was! The quietest home-stayer divided the
spoil, for it was the Lord's doing. Then Israel came out in all
her beauty, though they had been lying in poverty and
wretchedness.* In all the pretensions and striving of the nations,
this is God's will. God challenges these pretensions of human
power; "Why leap ye, ye high hills?" the seats of human
power. Zion was God's hill, He would make it His perpetual
abode. For the sake of His remnant He scattered the kings. In the
midst of them He would dwell. But whence all this deliverance? The
Lord had ascended on high, received gifts as man and for men; yea,
even for rebellious Israel, who was now in question, that Jehovah
might dwell among them.

{*The force of the word is much disputed; its sense, I suppose,
is evident. It is used for the stables of sheep or cattle.}

Praise for the full restoration of Israel's blessing and glory:
its source

This brings out praises to the God of their salvation; for
their God was the God of salvation. Oh! how could Christ witness
that? But they were still mortal men down here. The deliverance
was earthly and temporal, though of saints. But He would be their
guide always, even unto death. But He would destroy the
wicked. What was really the occasion of all this burst of joy (of
which the heart was too full to tell quietly the occasion) is now
however drawn out; yet the exultation still casts its light and
joy over it. Israel was set up again in power; her enemies
destroyed; the beauty of her temple-order restored. The tribes
would come up, the kings bring presents. God had commanded
strength, and they look to His strengthening what is wrought. The
subjection of every enemy or mighty one follows. Princes would
come out of Egypt, and Ethiopia stretch out her hands to God. The
kingdoms of the earth are all called upon then to sing praises to
Adonai. Strength is to be ascribed to God; but His excellency,
that in which He is exalted, is over Israel, and, in the clouds of
His dwelling-place is power, His strength watches over His
people. It is the full restoration of Israel's blessing and glory,
and indeed much more than restoration; and this consequent upon
the exaltation of the Lord to receive gifts as man.

The lordship of Christ

But, while it is the intervention of God in the power of
judgment, for the blessing of the remnant and putting down human
power and every haughtiness of man's will "God's arising" before
His earthly people and His enemies fleeing there are some points
in it, which are brought out by this, which it is well to
notice. First, the use of Adonai. His name Jah is introduced (v. 4
and 18), but it is always Adonai as spoken of. It is not the
covenant name of relationship, though Jah recall it, but power in
exercise, Lordship divine Lordship but still Lordship. It is what
Thomas owned when he saw the Lord, it would seem; not, tell my
brethren "I ascend unto my Father and your Father," etc. It is
God; but as the Lord manifested here in power as Psalm 2: 4; only
there He is not redescended. Hence here we have His ascension as a
past fact. It is not that God gives, but He who is Adonai has gone
up and received gifts as, and in respect of, man. In His Adam
(last Adam) character He has received them, having led the enemy
captive (Acts 2: 33-36); here clearly the ascended man, though
much more, and as head having received the gifts "in Man" the
human head of glory He shed forth the gifts (Acts 2, Eph. 4). But
though as, and for, and in, man, yet there was also a special
object added, yea, even for the rebellious, that Jah Elohim might
dwell among them. Here the remnant, the Israel of our psalm, comes
in. Hence the apostle does not quote it, but stops half-way at His
receiving them for man.

In the following psalms we find the humiliation of this blessed
One. What a contrast! Yet how far indeed from being less glorious
or of feebler interest in the eyes of us who have learned and know
who He is.